…but he’s still my baby boy…

When Nick was born, I couldn’t have been more delighted. After all, I do have four brothers and I knew a thing or two about boys.

He was a pretty contented baby, especially in comparison to Kate. From about three or four months, he had a belly laugh that made everyone around him laugh too. At three he would say that he wanted to be a clown so he could make people laugh (although he himself was scared of them.) By five he was regularly getting out of trouble with me because it’s hard to punish someone who’s making you giggle.

He is still the only person in the world who can, without exception, always make me laugh. I miss him desperately.

It’s been seven months since I last saw him. I have to remind him every time we talk that it’s been two weeks since I last heard from him and that he should call his mother more often. (He’s 22. As if that’s gonna happen.) 🙂

But his sister managed, somehow, to persuade him to come to Shreveport for Christmas. He’s working many hours (he’s in his fourth year as a welder’s apprentice) but making good money, and she hasn’t seen him in more than a year, so there you have it. He was making reservations while they were still on the phone. He’s coming into DFW, so Kate and Mike have a 2.5 hour drive each way to get him (saved him twice the price of the ticket to do that.) She’s…how can I put this…excited? She’s slept in his new house, but he’s never even seen her new house. We’re dusting and baking and washing floors and laundry.

But this isn’t about Kate. I get to have coffee with Kate, and dinner, and I get to snuggle Danny every day. This is about my Nicky.

He’s been with Miescha for more than 4.5 years. One day I expect him to ask for the diamond in my left earlobe so he can propose. For now, it’s enough that she’s suffering a holiday without him so he can come down here (thanks, Mie! I love you!)

Since he was a young teen he’s wanted to be in the military. Did I mention that he’s off-the-charts ADHD? On Ritalin since 12? No one would take him because of that. So he took himself off the meds, and has managed his work and driving and the rest of life without them since he was about 18. I’m mighty proud of him.

And what that’s leading up to is why this visit is so important to me. It’s very likely that this will be the last time I see him before he’s off to basic training and through tech school and then who knows where he’ll wind up. Enough years off meds and he qualified to be sworn into the US Navy. He hopes to train as a SEAL. Did I mention that I’m proud of him?

So I’m looking forward to these four short days we have together, to laugh with him, to maybe cry a little, to get lots of hugs and as much time as possible because after all, US Navy or not, he’s still my baby boy.